The drag artist known as The Vivienne died of a cardiac arrest caused by the effects of taking ketamine, their family has said.

James Lee Williams, who won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK as The Vivienne in 2019, died at their home in Cheshire in January. Their sister Chanel Williams said it was important to share the circumstances of their death because ketamine use was becoming more prevalent in the UK.

She said the family “continue to be completely devastated” by the performer’s death, and were planning to work with substance abuse charities in an attempt to let more people know about the drug’s dangers.

“Ketamine is an extremely dangerous drug that is becoming more and more prevalent in the UK,” Williams told the BBC. “If we can help raise awareness of the dangers of this drug and help people who may be dealing with ketamine addiction then something positive will come from this complete tragedy.”

An inquest into the death is scheduled to take place in June. Cheshire police have said there are no suspicious circumstances. Simon Jones, Williams’s manager and friend, echoed the family’s sentiments by saying it was an important moment to talk about the causes of the performer’s death. “I hope by us releasing this information we can raise awareness about the dangers of ongoing ketamine usage and what it can do to your body,” he said.

The family will work with the charity Adferiad. Their decision effectively continues Williams’s legacy of being open about substance abuse. During their time competing on series one of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Williams talked about how they had sought help for ketamine addiction.

Ketamine is used as a horse tranquilliser but is licensed in the UK as an anaesthetic and for short-term pain relief. A version of ketamine has a licence for the treatment of depression. There has been a large increase in the use of the drug in the US.

It is classified as a class B substance in the UK, but it emerged in January that ministers were seeking “expert advice” on reclassifying it as class A in response to increasing use among young people. About 299,000 people reported use of the drug in 2023 in the UK. Elon Musk is among those to have said he has taken the drug.

According to the national drug treatment monitoring system, the number of under-18s in England entering treatment who described ketamine as one of their problem substances increased from 335 in 2020-21 to 917 by 2023-24.

Williams received widespread tributes after their death was announced. The Dancing on Ice judge Oti Mabuse praised them for being a “phenomenal entertainer” and the Drag Race judge Michelle Visage said The Vivienne was “a beacon to so many”.